A network element in an optical network is subject to intermittent faults that may raise alarms in the system. A single fault in the system can however give rise to multiple alarms detected at multiple points. Finding the root cause alarm corresponding to the fault that has triggered these alarms is important for fault isolation and repair.
In the absence of an automatic fault isolation system, the network operator has to manually go through the list of alarms and identify the root cause alarm triggered by a fault that needs to be alleviated. With a large number of alarms in the list, this can be a long and arduous task. It cannot only overwhelm even an experienced network operator but can also increase the time for the detection of the failure. This in turn can significantly increase the time required for returning service to the network element.
Thus there is a need in the field for the development of an efficient method and system for fault isolation within a network element.